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Post by knit.pea on Sept 10, 2015 11:16:20 GMT
Oh yivit, I'm so sorry. It sounded like he had been slowly improving so well.
Prayers all around.
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jjb
Junior Member
Posts: 54
Jan 14, 2015 2:46:00 GMT
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Post by jjb on Sept 10, 2015 11:28:33 GMT
Sending prayers.
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Post by yivit on Sept 11, 2015 3:07:46 GMT
Thursday update
He is still on the same care as before. The surgical team assessed him today and is not in agreement with the icu team at this point. They say they have seen a little improvement with the new set if antibiotics over the past 48 hours. He is actually on the lowest level of assist on the ventilator.
We are going to go with the surgical team's recommendation that we give the meds a little more time to work. My baby brother flew in yesterday afternoon and left this year morning. He is not handling this very well. My middle sister actually came for a little while this morning as well (since my youngest sister and I both told her last night she NEEDED to come see him). My son spent time with him last night and my daughter is coming in the morning. They both seem to be much more at peace with whatever might happen - they didn't get to the hospital in time to see their dad one last time.
We have directives in place in case things go south so we aren't having to make those decisions. I'm dealing with the narcissist my stepmom seems to be. I told her she was not even listening to what the doctor was saying about some small improvements today and walked out before I told her I didn't care if she was his wife his CHILDREN have decided to let the doctors try to work one last bit of miracle. I have been the one signing all of the consent forms so far so she has no right (in my mind) to say what happens, especially since she wasn't even planning on coming into town for any of this until things went south that first weekend.
I'm hoping for a miracle but prepared for more realistic outcomes - either he passes peacefully or he recovers enough to come off the vent and fentanyl so he can make his final wishes known.
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Post by KelleeM on Sept 11, 2015 9:12:58 GMT
I'm so sorry you're going through all of this. Prayers.
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Post by knit.pea on Sept 11, 2015 10:56:49 GMT
(((yivit))) You are doing everything you can for him. He is blessed to have you as his advocate. Praying.
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Post by FLA SummerBaby on Sept 11, 2015 13:58:08 GMT
I hadn't read the entire post --- so sorry Yivit. Sending prayers for all of you.
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Post by FLA SummerBaby on Sept 11, 2015 14:11:09 GMT
I agree with @knitpea -- your dad is blessed to have you there advocating for him. That is a tough job to do but so necessary. Hugs.
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scrappert
Prolific Pea
RefuPea #2956
Posts: 7,811
Location: Milwaukee, WI area
Jul 11, 2014 21:20:09 GMT
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Post by scrappert on Sept 11, 2015 16:17:13 GMT
Prayers for you and your family. Prayers to your dad.
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Post by yivit on Sept 11, 2015 17:48:22 GMT
Friday morning update The rascal wiggled down in his bed enough to grab the vent and was trying to pull it out. The nurse and I both caught him about the same time and got into him. He started wagging his finger at me. I said let them get you off the vent then you can tell me off - until then do what they say! My youngest sister drove in from San Antonio area this morning and is here for the weekend. Haven't seen any sign of the steps yet and it's almost 1pm - guess they can't drive in a little rain for half an hour but my sister can do it for almost five hours. My daughter and her BF are coming up soon. They've actually been able to take him off the pressors for short periods of time. His BP drops to a level the nurse doesn't like when he dozes off though. Baby steps.
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Post by Merge on Sept 12, 2015 1:38:17 GMT
Thinking of you and your family, yivit.
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Post by yivit on Sept 12, 2015 14:31:25 GMT
Late Friday update (I haven't made it to the hospital yet today)
We talked to his surgeon. They have figured out what bacteria it is and have changed to the right antibiotic to target it. He is leaking fluid through the incision site because of the whole fluid thing so they have a wound bag on it and are draining. The pathology came back and they say he is CANCER FREE!
Now to get him over the sepsis and hope that his organs can recover.
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~Susan~
Pearl Clutcher
You need to check your boobs, mine tried to kill me!!!
Posts: 3,259
Jul 6, 2014 17:25:32 GMT
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Post by ~Susan~ on Sept 12, 2015 16:28:56 GMT
I will be keeping you in my thoughts. Sounds like things are moving in the right direction now.
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Post by knit.pea on Sept 12, 2015 17:34:07 GMT
Hoping the new treatments get it under control. He really has been through the wringer with this ... strong man! Will continue to send prayers and good thoughts
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Post by jenjie on Sept 12, 2015 18:57:53 GMT
Thank God!!! I've missed most of your updates and was working my way through. Very glad to see this latest update!
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Post by yivit on Sept 13, 2015 17:22:37 GMT
Sunday update
Listened in on rounds. Sounds like surgical and ICU teams are talking about opening him back up to clean things out and do a visual inspection (ct hasn't shown leaks but they don't always). Knowing what I know about going back in to clean out infection, they will probably pack and leave him somewhat open. No time on surgery yet but they are shooting for today since they already stopped tube feeding and have ordered platelets and blood. He was restless again last night and they gave him melatonin. Seems to have helped and the nurses have asked for that to be a nightly thing so he can get some rest and heal.
Update as I was updating: surgery scheduled for 4-5pm today unless an emergency bumps them.
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Post by knit.pea on Sept 13, 2015 18:08:52 GMT
Will keep praying for him and your family.
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gramma
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,911
Location: Sacramento, Ca
Aug 29, 2014 3:09:48 GMT
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Post by gramma on Sept 13, 2015 18:15:36 GMT
I am carrying you in my thoughts today.
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Post by yivit on Sept 14, 2015 1:46:59 GMT
He went into surgery around 6:30pm. His doctor came out about 8:20 to tell us what went on. Evidently he had a hole in his duodenum. They've placed a drain in there and cleaned him out inside and done a temporary closure on his incision. He will likely go back in Tuesday or Wednesday for another clean out and check. The doc said he will probably get sicker before he gets better because of all the gunk in there and the manhandling of his innards. They aren't sure how he got this hole, but it was nowhere near either surgery site.
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Post by yivit on Sept 14, 2015 12:47:22 GMT
Monday update:
The hospital called around 5am. He was being taken into emergency surgery for bleeding. I'm there now and he is in recovery. Nobody has come out yet to talk to us about the surgery yet, though.
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Post by ro on Sept 14, 2015 12:56:46 GMT
yivit, sending prayers to you and your dad.
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Post by idahomom on Sept 14, 2015 13:05:55 GMT
So similar to my husband a few weeks ago. He had a hole left in his colon after a routine colonoscopy and polyp removal. He was septic. Opened him up, removed half of his colon, washed his organs, closed. I was surprised that there were no drains as he has a very large incision (sternum to pubic area). Infection set in. He was reopened and dry packed for a couple of days. Now he's on week two of a wound vac. He goes in twice a week to have all the packing removed and new placed. I'm curious if your dad will also have a wound vac. It's a bother being hooked up to this little machine, but it increases the healing time tremendously. I'm still so shocked that a routine colonoscopy has resulted in all of this for my husband with at least 6-8 weeks off work.
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Post by yivit on Sept 14, 2015 13:08:46 GMT
So similar to my husband a few weeks ago. He had a hole left in his colon after a routine colonoscopy and polyp removal. He was septic. Opened him up, removed half of his colon, washed his organs, closed. I was surprised that there were no drains as he has a very large incision (sternum to pubic area). Infection set in. He was reopened and dry packed for a couple of days. Now he's on week two of a wound vac. He goes in twice a week to have all the packing removed and new placed. I'm curious if your dad will also have a wound vac. It's a bother being hooked up to this little machine, but it increases the healing time tremendously. I'm still so shocked that a routine colonoscopy has resulted in all of this for my husband with at least 6-8 weeks off work. They had him on a wound vac post-op last night. It's bigger (of course) than the wound vac I've dealt with before, which was on my DH's knee. I did get more details on how much colon they took during the original surgery. Sigmoid and rectum, that's all. That's why it was so easy for them to reattach during surgery. The stent they had to put in back in July when he had the obstruction was right in the middle of what they removed.
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Post by knit.pea on Sept 14, 2015 14:24:59 GMT
(((hugs))) Sending prayers of strength and healing for your Dad.
We are there in spirit with you.
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Post by yivit on Sept 15, 2015 19:37:19 GMT
Tuesday update
(The surgery for bleeding Monday morning went well. They found some "oozy" spots and basically superglued them.)
He rested overnight. I got here and he was responding to me some, though not a lot - he would turn his head and look at me and he squeezed my hand. Of course, he has a lot of anesthesia still in him. His numbers for the most part look good other than platelets.
They took him back a little while ago for what I'm referring to as a "wash-n-wax." The surgeon on his admitting surgeon's team said his hemoglobin is still low and they're trying to figure that out.
Of course, now he'll be out like a light again for the rest of the day after he gets back, but any rest you can get in a hospital you take.
His wife and her daughter are not here today (yay) - daughter was working and wife was not coming up by herself (what-ever). My aunt and uncle came up for a while and will come up later after her doctor's appointment. BTW, this is my mom's sister and her husband, who still consider my dad as their BIL (which he is).
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gramma
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,911
Location: Sacramento, Ca
Aug 29, 2014 3:09:48 GMT
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Post by gramma on Sept 17, 2015 5:29:15 GMT
yivit How,is your dad today? I'm thinking of you
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Post by yivit on Sept 17, 2015 17:13:04 GMT
There wasn't much to update on Wednesday, but here's what I put on FB: Wednesday morning daddy update Rested overnight, still coming out of all that anesthesia. Vent settings are a little higher because of that. Hopefully today is just a day of rest and tweaking meds and blood products as needed. I spent part of Wednesday in Katy (far west side) dealing with a car problem my daughter was having (got it towed to the shop after I couldn't beat it into submission, and they called around 10 today to say it was fixed and she could pick it up). My aunt Frances covered for me for the afternoon at the hospital. Today's update is pretty much more of the same. I talked to the night nurse around 6am. He's pretty much the same. Two liters of fluid the past 24 hours from the wound vac which is quite a lot but when I left yesterday the characteristics of the output looked good as in nothing from a leak or abscess. She said he was restless and wasn't really following commands, but he did that before after the first clean out surgery - after all, he DID have three surgeries and anesthesias in less than 48 hours. My sister, aunt and bff are telling me to take a break and go to work so I'm going to. Hopefully I won't get called up there like the last time I tried to stay away for the day. So I've been at work about 5 hours now and haven't gotten much done. I feel like I'm on a management track. My plans right now are to go up to the hospital for a while after work. My aunt went this morning, and my dad's wife and her daughter were planning on going also (they usually get there around 11 or so and leave by 2, but had told my aunt that they were going to be there early today but who knows what their definition of 'early' is). My aunt will probably hang out at least until they leave. I haven't gotten any calls or texts so I guess it's still all the same as before for now. He's on the schedule for another rinse-n-repeat tomorrow. Yesterday during morning rounds, the ICU attending told her team to get with the surgical team to see if they could do a trach while he's in on Friday. We've already signed consent for that so there should be no roadblocks unless his surgeon doesn't want to do it while his belly is open.
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Post by yivit on Sept 19, 2015 3:09:01 GMT
Friday update
My dad had another cleanout this morning. The ICU and surgical teams wanted another family meeting when i got there this afternoon (my sister, aunt and BFF all made me go to work yesterday and today). ICU says they've done everything they can. Surgeon says he's not quite ready to say that but he doesn't want my dad to suffer. He's pissed that he got all the cancer only to be losing him to sepsis and organ failure.
We have moved to no escalation of care.
We don't know how long we have left but we can only hope he isn't in pain.
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Post by knit.pea on Sept 19, 2015 3:52:19 GMT
He has fought so hard. Prayers of peace and comfort for him and your family.
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Post by yivit on Sept 20, 2015 3:39:38 GMT
Just when we thought his wife couldn't stoop any lower she has. While we were at lunch she told the nurse that if he didn't pass before, she wanted everything removed tomorrow afternoon. I'm not sure she can do that but if she wants to her ass needs to be in there with him. She hasn't been there more than a few hours each day and not even every day like me (other than Thursday and Friday when my sister aunt and bff forced me to go to work and the anniversary of my dh's death when i had to go up there for a meeting to make decisions when i was trying to avoid seeing my dad in the same condition as my dh). She wasn't even planning on being here for the surgery and hospitalization until he wentinto icu and her daughter told her she had to come.
She is the reason he's in there. He couldn't afford to retire and enjoy what time he had left because of her spending habits and the fact that he's just too nicea guy to tell her leechy descendants to bugger off (And he never was able to help any of us because of it, Not even cosigning my brother's student loan - my grandmother had to).
Yes I'm mad and a bit bitter. It isn't fair that I've only been able to spend time with him in the hospital because she pushed us all away for 25 years.
We will be okay eventually. Orphaned (adults but still without parents who should still be here dammit), but we will make it somehow.
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Post by knit.pea on Sept 20, 2015 13:49:41 GMT
Holy crap, that woman is just horrible.
I'm sure your Dad has been glad you have been there for him. All your focus has been on him. A true gift.
My parents are both gone as well, through age and blind belief in whatever doctors told them, and it's never fair.
More prayers headed your way.
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